The boxes have wire on the fore part, and each partition is furnished with a small trough for food.

Quails are birds of undaunted courage; and their quarrels often terminate in mutual destruction. This irascible disposition induced the ancient Greeks and Romans to fight them with each other, as the moderns do game-cocks. And such favourites were the conquerors, that in one instance Augustus punished a præfect of Egypt with death, for having brought to his table one of these birds which had acquired celebrity for its victories. The fighting of Quails is even now a fashionable diversion in China, and in some parts of Italy.

OF THE BUSTARDS IN GENERAL.

The Bustards have a somewhat convex bill, with open and oblong nostrils. Their legs are long, and naked above the knees. The feet have only three toes, all placed forward.

There are about twelve different species of Bustards, nearly all of which are inhabitants of the Old Conti

nent.

THE GREAT BUSTARD *.

There is one very essential distinction betwixt the male and the female of this species. The former is

See Plate xiii. Fig. 5.

DESCRIPTION. This is the largest land-fowl produced in our island, the male sometimes weighing twenty-five pounds and upwards. The length is nearly four feet, and the breadth nine. The head and neck are ash-coloured. The back is transversely barred with black, and bright rust-colour. The belly is white and the tail, consisting of twenty feathers, is barred with red and black. The legs are dusky. On each side of the lower mandible of the bill there is a tuft of feathers about nine inches long.

The female is not much more than half the size of the male. The top of her head is of a deep orange, and the rest of the head

furnished with a sac or pouch, situated in the fore part of the neck, and capable of containing more than two quarts of water. The entrance to this pouch is immediately under the tongue. This singular reservoir was first discovered by Dr. Douglas, who supposes that the bird fills it with water, to supply its thirst in the midst of those extensive plains where it is accustomed to wander. The Bustard likewise makes a further use of it, in defending itself against the attacks of birds of prey: on these occasions it throws out the water with such violence, as not unfrequently to baffle the pursuit of its

enemy.

This bird makes no nest, but the female lays her eggs in some hollow place of the ground, in a dry cornfield; these are two in number, as big as those of a goose, and of a pale olive brown, marked with spots of a deeper colour. If, during her absence from the nest, any one handle, or even breathe upon the eggs, she immediately abandons them. The young ones follow the dam soon after they are excluded from the egg, but they are not capable for some time of flying.

Bustards feed on green corn, the tops of turnips, and other vegetables, as well as on worms: and they have been known also to eat frogs, mice, and young birds. They are remarkable for their great timidity: they carefully avoid mankind, and are easily driven away in whole herds by the smallest dog.

In England these birds are now and then met with : they frequent the open countries of the south and east parts, from Dorsetshire, as far as the wolds in Yorkshire; and are sometimes, though rarely, seen on Salisbury Plain. They are slow in taking wing, but run

brown. Her colours are not so bright as those of the male, and she wants the tuft on each side of the head.

SYNONYMS. Otis tarda. Linnæus.-Outarde. Buff-Bustard. Willughby.-Bew. Birds, p. 314.-Penn. Brit. Zool. i. tab.

with great rapidity; and the young-ones are sometimes coursed and taken by grey-hounds.

OF THE TRUMPETERS*.

This singular tribe, of which only two species have yet been discovered, stands arranged, even in Gmelin's edition of the Systema Naturæ, among the birds of the ensuing order, the Waders; but both in its formation and habits it differs so materially from the whole of that order, that I have not hesitated to follow the example of Dr. Latham, in placing it among the gallinaceous birds.

THE GOLD-BREASTED TRUMPETER †.

The most characteristic and remarkable property of the Gold-breasted Trumpeters consists in the singular noise which they often make, either of their own accord, or when urged by their keepers. To induce one of the

The bill is moderately long, having the upper mandible a little convex. The nostrils are oblong, sunk, and pervious. The tongue is cartilaginous, flat, and fringed at the tip. The legs are naked a little above the knees; and the toes are placed three before and one behind.

*See Plate xv. Fig. 7.

DESCRIPTION. The length of this bird is about twenty-two inches; and its legs are five inches high, and completely covered with small scales, which reach two inches above the knee. Its general plumage is black: and the feathers of the head and neck are very short and downy; those of the fore part of the neck, and upper part of the breast, of a glossy gilded green, with a reflection of blue in some lights. The feathers between the shoulders are rust-coloured, changing into a pale ash-colour as they pass downward. They are loose and silky. Those of the scapulars are long, and hang over the tail, which is very short, and consists of twelve blackish feathers. The legs are greenish; and the bill is yellowish green, having the nostrils pervious.

SYNONYMS, PSophia crepitans. Linn.—Caracara. Buff.

birds to this, it is sometimes necessary to entice it with a bit of bread to come near; and then, making the same kind of sound, which the keepers can well imitate, the bird will frequently be disposed to repeat it. This equivocal noise, which somewhat resembles the moans of a pigeon, is at times preceded by a savage cry, interrupted by a sound approaching that of sherck, sherck. In this way the bird utters five, six, or seven times, with precipitation, a hollow voice emitted from within its body, nearly as if one pronounced tou, tou, tou, tou, tou, tou, with the mouth shut, resting upon the last tou, ... a very long time, and terminating by sinking gradually with the same note. It also much resembles the lengthened, doleful noise which the Dutch bakers make by blowing a glass trumpet, to inform their customers when the bread comes out of the oven. This odd sort of tone is probably owing to the extent of the bird's lungs, and the capacity of the membranaceous cells: and it may probably be communicated through the muscles and teguments of its body. The Gold-breasted Trumpeter, when tamed, distinguishes its master and benefactor with marks of affection." Having (says Vosmaër) reared one myself, I had an opportunity of experiencing this. When I opened its cage in the morning, the animal hopped round me, expanding his wings, and trumpeting, as if to wish me good morning. He showed equal attention when I went out and returned. No sooner did he perceive me at a distance, than he ran to meet me; and even when I happened to be in a boat, and set my foot on shore, he welcomed me with the same compliments, which he reserved for me alone, and never bestowed upon others.

The Trumpeter is easily tamed, and always becomes attached to its benefactor. When bred up in the house, it loads its master with caresses, and follows his motions; and, if it conceive a dislike to persons on account of their forbidding figure, or of injuries received, it will pursue them sometimes to a considerable distance, biting their legs, and testifying every mark of displea¬

sure. It obeys the voice of its master, and even answers to the call of others to whom it bears no ill-will. It is fond of caresses, and offers its head and neck to be stroked; and if once accustomed to these familiarities, it becomes troublesome, and will not be satisfied without continual fondling. It makes its appearance as often as its master sits down to table, and begins by driving out the dogs and cats from the room; for it is so obstinate and bold, that it never yields, but, often after a tough battle, will put even a middle-sized dog to flight. It avoids the bites of its antagonist by rising in the air; and retaliates with violent blows of its bill and claws, aimed chiefly at the eyes. After it gains the superiority, it pursues its victory with the utmost rancour, and, if not taken off, will destroy the fugitive. By its intercourse with man, its instincts become moulded like those of dogs; and we are assured that it can be trained to attend a flock of sheep. It even shows a degree of jealousy of its human rivals; for, when at table, it bites fiercely the naked legs of the negroes and other domestics who approach its master.

66

Nearly all these birds have a habit of following people through the streets, and out of town; even those whom they have never seen before. It is difficult to get rid of them; if a person enter a house, they will wait his return, and again join him, though after an interval of two or three hours. "I have sometimes, (says M. de la Borde) betaken myself to my heels; but they ran faster, and always got before me; and when I stopped they stopped also. I know one that invariably follows all the strangers who enter its master's house, accompanies them into the garden, takes as many turns there as they do, and attends them back again.

In a state of nature this bird inhabits the arid mountains and upland forests of South America; never visiting the cleared grounds, nor the settlements. It associates in numerous flocks. It walks and runs, rather than flies; for it never rises more than a few feet from the ground, and then only to reach some short distance,